The Summer Field

20 Clubbing Together Even he, who ‘loved the social side’ could not stand some men (‘snobs’). He sounded at ease in the company of men more common than himself – which some found disturbing, even a political statement. Cricketers came together because of an interest in common; yet you could be skilled at playing the game, and bad at getting along with others; not clubbable. Hence some clubs took trouble to check ‘candidates’, such as the son of A.M.Ivey, of Leeds, who in 1947 wanted to join the long-running Yorkshire Gentlemen’s club, whose home ground was outside York. Claude Thompson of the Gentlemen wrote to the Yorkshire county club asking about Ivey’s ‘stature’ in Leeds and ‘whether his son is likely to be a suitable person’. Ivey senior owned a tourist agency, and was a Yorkshire member; his son was at a university in France and thinking of going to Oxford. Thompson reported to fellow Gentlemen that Ivey junior was also a good cricketer, ‘so I think we can elect him without any question’ - an odd line, as the Gentlemen had plainly started with questions. If you took such care before you let someone into your own club, how could you hope to share a field with strangers – and under the pressure of competition? Either conflict never ended, or clubs had to give up some of their freedom, for a quieter life for all.